Of Owls, Secrets, Pranks, and Packages
by Fictitous
Summary: James Potter recieves a mysterious package, which opens new windows of opportunity for he and Sirius, who is up to something. Please, R/R!


-Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story or the magical world, they belong to J.K. Rowling   
-A/N: MWPP generation. If you've read my first fic, (which I probably should be working on, but I really wanted to write this...) you'd know that Peter just disappears. I don'know what happens to him. He's just not there. Maybe he's in the hospital wing or something. Anyway, this is set in their 4th year. Oh, hey, one more thing: Please tell me what youthink. I thought it was cute, so I wrote it, but I don't think it's polished enough yet....so help? Please? It's just going to be a short fic...maybe two chapters. I think the end of this chapter should be fixed, but I got kinda stuck on it. Any ideas?   


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James looked moodily out the common room window. There was nothing to do. Christmas vacation, and absolutely nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Sirius had gone to Hogsmeade for the day, with that new girlfriend of his, Lily Evans. Remus had gone home for Christmas, and he couldn't owl him because it was full moon yesterday, and he'd be sick in bed. James allowed himself a small smile. Although Remus would probably appreciate a letter, he didn't think Remus could stand up to seeing Hercules just yet. Hercules was dedicated, but he sometimes got out of hand. Mini owls had personalities of their own...James still couldn't understand was Sirius had a _cat_. It seemed, well, un-Sirius. James's thoughts turned to Lily. She wasn't what you would call Sirius's type.... but he seemed to really like her. She was a Ravenclaw in her fourth year. James had admitted to having a crush on her once, but never said anything about it again. _Look what boredom does to you. It makes you think. I always knew thinking was bad for you.___

James's musing were broken by a rap on the window in front of him. Startled, he jumped, and stared blankly out the window. Laughing at himself, he noticed a little owl fluttering outside. He teased it for a moment by pretending the window was stuck, and wouldn't open. Annoyed, the owl at the window rapped impatiently. While there was no snow on the ground outside this year, it was still cold out. James opened the widow just enough to admit the tiny owl, and shut it hurriedly as a blast of air entered the warm common room. Stepping back from the window, James looked around. Hercules had been there just a minute ago; he just had let him in....Suddenly cautious, James looked around once more then bolted for a pillow. Too late. _BAM!_ The tiny owl hit James square in the head, and then thudded to the ground. The package it had been carrying skidded across the floor. 

Turning around slowly, James looked with an amused pity on his little owl. It happened every time. Hercules was so excited; he- well, basically knocked himself out. It didn't help that he couldn't land; assuming Hercules had been heading for his shoulder. Grimacing, James rubbed the back of his head where the bird had hit him. Kneeling down, he scooped up the little owl and carried it to his cage by the bed. James would let him out again when he came to. 

Remembering his boredom, James thudded carelessly down the stairs. Standing at the bottom again, he twirled and ran up the stairs. Down; up; down; up. Sitting down on the top step, exhausted, James looked at the floor below. The plain brown package still lay on the floor, and it caught his eye. He had sent Hercules to Dad, but wan't expecting anything back.. Hadn't his presents already been sent? Intrigued, James stood up, then crashed unwillingly back down. The exercise up the stairs made his legs still wobbly. Admitting defeat, James pulled his wand out. 

"Accio package!" It flew to James, and he caught it deftly. There was a note attached to it. The short, scribbled handwriting betrayed it was indeed from his dad. Curious, he unfolded the letter:__

_ James-_   
_ I finally think you're old enough to have this. You can open it now- think of it as an early Christmas gift. You have to figure out what it does, you most certainly won't find out from me. Your Mum, Sirius's dad, and I had a lot of fun with this; but, be careful, we found ourselves in big trouble sometimes.So make sure you don't, got me?_   
_ Much love,_   
_ Dad_

James frowned. It was hard to picture his regal, well-mannered Dad having fun, getting into trouble even, since his Mom died. Heck, skip that, it would be hard to imagine his Dad getting into trouble _ever_. But on the other hand, Sirius's dad...he was the one who gave them their first supply of pranks just before they first boarded the Hogwarts train. 

James carefully tore a hole in the brown packaging, and then, seeing it wasn't damaged, tore the rest of the paper off. In his lap lay.... a scrap of material? What was he supposed to do with that? _No, wait..._James thought, unfolding the material_...it's a cloak._ He held it up to the light and looked at it for a few moments. The material was almost translucent, dark blue, yet light blue at the same time. The light played different patterns on the material as clouds moved over the sun outside. Making a quick decision, James stood up, and put the cloak on. His knees wobbled, but held. He headed back to his dorm to look at himself in the mirror. Stopping again at another window, he peered outside. Finally! It looked like it was going to snow. Heading to the mirror, James stopped first to look at Hercules. He shook his head. Still out cold. 

Stopping in front of the mirror, he sighed. _Not again..._He rapped on the mirror. _Really, Dumbledore should pay this thing a little chat._ "Wake up! Hello-ooo! Mirror! Are you there?" The snores from the mirror stopped abruptly, and the glass cleared from it's cloudy grey. 

"Halt! Who goes there!? I'm warning you there, I'll trap you in my reflection and get you...no trespassers allowed here, ya' see?" Hearing no answer, the mirror shifted nervously. "Yeah, well, I'll trap ya', you'll see, better get on to your business..... no trespassers, ya' hear...and...and..." The mirror lapsed back into it's regular snoring. All this time, James had been staring at the mirror, frozen. When it had awoken, he didn't appear in the mirror. Thinking, James pulled back the cloak just enough so that his hand stuck out. And it floated in midair. James grinned. He would have some fun with this..... a noise downstairs snapped him out of staring, and he quickly pulled the cloak over his hand, and crept downstairs. He could hear Sirius's boisterous laughter, and another voice. 

The voiced came into view. With Sirius was the girl he had been out with all day, Lily Evans. James shook his head. If anyone else caught Sirius bringing someone from a different house in here....The two were walking over to the fire. Suddenly, James stuck his foot out. Sirius tripped, and ended up sprawled out on the floor. Jumping up, he glared at Lily, whose face was red trying to stifle her giggles. "Did you do that?" he demanded. Lily tried to talk, but ended up shaking her head no. "There was a foot there. I saw it, I swear I did. Didn't you see it? It was there a minute ago, I _know_ I saw it...." Sirius stared hard at the spot where he was tripped, and gingerly runnbed his elbow. The floor was absolutely smooth, and nothing was inside. He scolwed. By now Lily had collapsed upon the couch, helplessly laughing at Sirius's antics. James was doubled over, trying hard not to laugh. Sirius stood up, shrugged, nonchalantly, and tried to regain his composure. He sat down next to Lily and looked perplexed. "I've no idea where James could of gone, he was here whenwe left...and god knows there's nothing to do. I'll expect he'll come back soon though. We can wait." 

"Sirius," the girl began. "Why did you tell everyone we were going out? Because: 1) We aren't, and 2) You promised to help me, and it seems like that would have the adverse affect on what we're trying to accomplish here." She crossed her arms and looked coolly at him. Sirius squirmed under her glare, then grinned at her. 

"Well, you see, just getting little Jamesie back for what he did to me last year, asking the girl out that _I _was going to ask out, and that_ I_ specifically stated that I was going to ask out. I thought it wouldn't hurt." James crept closer, and sat down in a chair. So they _weren't_ going out? What on earth were they talking about? "Plus, I know James still has a crush on you, and-" 

"He does?" Lily interrupted, looking hopeful. "He really does?" Sirius grinned, and, seeing the scowl on her face, looked over at the fire to try and hide it. He looked straight past where James was sitting, then held his gaze on the chair where James was sitting, and his brows knitted. Then, the realization slowly crept across his face. He turned back to Lily. 

"Look, uh, Lily, I think I hear someone in the girls' dorm rooms...you had better go.." Sirius tried to usher her out of the room. 

"You do?" Lily eyes him suspiciously. They were at the portrait hole. "I didn't hear anything." Sirius glared at her, trying to give her a message through her eyes. 

"Just go!" he hissed. Lily looked at him, confused, and vanished out the hole. 

Sirius walked back over to the couch, and sat there for a minute. Then: "Take it off James. I know you're there. While I can't see you, I can see your butt marks in the chair." Grinning, James took off the cloak. 

"How'd you know about it? My Dad never told me. I just got it, Hercules flew in with it this afternoon." 

At the mention of Hercules, Sirius looked up, concerned. "He's ok," James smiled. "Just knocked out."Sirius grinned 

"My Dad told me about it. Once, when I was little. I knew you tripped me, but I couldn't think of _how_. Then I saw where you where sitting in the chair, and it just came to me." 

James snorted. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it Sirius, because I doubt that things will ever 'just come to you' ever again. And, I doubt, judging by the look on your face, you had any clue how you tripped." He said dryly. Sirius was hiding something. But he grinned anyway. Sirius would tell him eventually. "Sirius, think of all the things we could do with this. It's our window of opportunity. Think of all the havoc we could wreak! And no one would ever know..." He smiled wickidly. "What do you think?" 

Sirius looked thoughtful, and glanced up at the clock. "Look, I have some things to do. I'll meet you at the pig statue, at 11. Bring the cloak. I have an idea." He grinned, and vanished out the portrait hole. James sank into the chair. That wasn't like Sirius. Knowing him, he normally couldn't wait to pull a prank. James remembered the overheard conversation, and curled up in the chair, staring into the fire, trying to make sense of it all. And, no! He did not still have a crush on Lily...upstairs, he could hear Hercules protesting to being in a cage. Slowly, like an old man, he raised himself up out of the chair, and walked upstairs to let him out. 

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A/N: One more thing I want to clear: I am _not_ going to have Lily and James fall in love. I said about two chapters! I felt like I wrote"grin, grinning, and grinned" alot. Did I? And: Does anyone else have trouble uploading these stupid things!? How do you get it to stay a different font size/or font? And stay in the same format. Ahhhh! Had to let that out. 


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